What is Chod? It sound's spooky and scary from what I know. Isn't it a ritual means of chopping ones body up to offer other being's? I know that Catholic's beleave Jesus offer's his body for sin's and others believe in the Sin Eaters. I'm sure there are more that I've not heard of.

Hi Mike yes Chod is both spooky and scary...it works with our greatest fears and attachments and yes uses a visualization whereby we offer that which is most dear to us...our own body, to the Buddhas, the Bodhisattvas, to other beings also including those who torment us and cause us problems. It is therefore a practice rooted in Bodhichitta or immeasurable loving kindness and compassion.It contains all the Elements of the foundational practices of ngondro as well as the bodhisattva practices of the six Paramitas.To be practiced correctly you need to seek out a teacher who has practiced this intensely.

"Chod" is actually a complete lineage of practice, with a wide variety of methods and instructions.

What most people call "Chod" is something more properly termed "LuJin" or "Offering One's body," and it is indeed a ritual meditation practice that involves visualizations connected with offering up one's body. "Chod" means "Cutting," so it's a fairly graphic and descriptive term.....but in actuality, the real, ultimate meaning is the "cutting" of attachment to Samsara--in other words, enlightenment. In essence, it has the same meaning as the Prajnaparamita sutras--the Nonconceptual, direct experience of Wisdom.

May any merit generated by on-line discussionBe dedicated to the Ultimate Benefit of All Sentient Beings.

Abandoning Dharma is, in the final analysis, disparaging the Hinayana because of the Mahayana; favoring the Hinayana on account of the Mahayana; playing off sutra against tantra; playing off the four classes of the tantras against each other; favoring one of the Tibetan schools—the Sakya, Gelug, Kagyu, or Nyingma—and disparaging the rest; and so on. In other words, we abandon Dharma any time we favor our own tenets and disparage the rest.